Railway saety-signal.



W. 64 B. SWOBODA.

RAILWAY SAFETY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION mm JULY 1.19m.

1,271,831. Patented July 9,1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM SWOBODA, OF ALTON, AND BOLESLAW SWOBODA, OF EAST ST. LOUIS,ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY SAFETY-SIGNAL.

Application filed July 7, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, lNILI-IELM SWOBODA, a citizen of the United States,residing in Alton, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, andBOLESLAW Swonooa, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing in EastSt. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Railway Safety- Signals, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway safety apparatus such as employed forcontrolling trains passing along railway tracks. The apparatusasdisclosed in the following specification is intended to cooperate with aswitch, in such a way that if a switch ahead of thetrain is in an unsafeposition, the engineer on the locomotive will be given a signal in timeto prevent an accident. The apparatus for this purpose which is usuallycarried on locomotives frequentlyvinvolves the use of two or moresolenoids or electromagnets and also frequently includes springs.

The general object of the present invention is to produce a very simpleapparatus to be carried by the locomotive for the purpose stated andwhich will be reliable in operation, at the same time avoiding the useof a great number of parts, and springs.

Further objects of the invention will ap-.

pear hereinafter:

The invention consists in the general combination of parts and featuresto be described hereinafter all of which contribute to produce anefficient and reliable safety apparatus.

In the drawing which fully illustrates a preferred embodiment of ourinvention, the figure is a diagrammatic view indicating the generalarrangement and details of our apparatus as applied to an ordinarylocomotive.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 2 represents the rails of thetrack, along which the locomotive 7 runs. Ata suitable point on thetrack and at a considerable distance from the cooperating switch, weprovide a track-device 19 to which is attached a conductor or wire 24:which leads forward on the track and is connected with the switch pointadjacent the near rail, as viewed in this figure. Near the location ofthe track device the near rail is connected with the ground by aconductor 28. It should be un- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Serial No. 107,921.

derstood that the conductors 21-, 2S and the near rail form parts of anelectric circuit including a battery or other source of E. M. F saidcircuit being arranged so that when the switch point is in a dangerousposition the circuit will be closed through the conductor 24 when thelocomotive arrives at the track device 19.

In order to complete the circuit through the locomotive and cause analarm to be given to the engineer we provide the locomotive with acontact device of any suitable construction, for example, comprising anarm 20 pivotally mounted on a bracket 23 secured near the forward end.of the locomotive, said arm 20 being provided with a contact roller 21at its lower end and being constrained toward an inclined position by acoiled spring 22. When the locomotive arrives at the track device 19,the roller 21 rides upon the track device, thereby permitting thecurrent to flow through a conductor 18 which is connected with thebracket 23. This conductor 18 is connected with a solenoid coil 12 whichis preferably disposed with its aXis substantially vertical, and withinthe coil there is provided a core 13, the upper end of said core beingprovided with a head 14- of insulatingmaterial which is of suiiicientdiameter to engage the upper end of a coil and support the core withinthe coil that is to say, it prevents the core from falling out of thecoil. A similar insulating head 17 is provided at the lower end of thecore, the function of which is to engage the coil when the coil isenergized and thereby limit the upward movement of the core.

In a position adjacent to the solenoid we provide a switch whichpreferably includes a movable contact member 11 and a fixed contactmember 15, both of which are mounted on an insulating block 10. When thecoil 12 is not energized the movable contact 11 occupies a depressedposition such as that indicated by the dotted line 11 At all times thismovable contact 11 lies above and in the path of the upper end or head14 of the solenoid but is unattached to the head. The contacts 11 and 15are connected in the circuit 9 with an alarm device or electric bell 8,the said circuit being energized by a battery 16. The fixed contact 15is constructed so that when the movable contact 11. rises it willresiliently engage the movable contact 11 and hold it by frictionalcontact in its elevated position.

One end of the solenoid coil 12 is connected by a conductor 25 with theaxle of the locomotive, through the medium of a contact or brush 26, thecircuit being completed through the rim 27 of the wheel, by its contactwith the near rail 2.

In the mode of operation of the apparatus, if the switch ahead on thetrack is in a dangerous position, the circuit will be closed through thelocomotive When the 10- comotive arrives at the track device 19, throughthe medium of the arm 20 and the conductors l8 and 25, This energizesthe coil 12 and operates to move the solenoid core 13 into its elevatedposition, As the core rises its head 14: engages and pushes up themovable contact 11 in its path of movement until the movable contactcomes into frictional engagement with the resilient fixed contactmember-15. As soon as the locomotive passes beyond the track device, thesolenoid core descends by gravity to its normal position, leaving theswitch 111 57 closed. As soon as the switch 11-15 closes, it closes alocal circuit through the alarm or bell 8 and an alarm is given to theengineer. Furthermore this alarm will continue until the engineer seizesthe movable contact 11 and depresses it to its normal position, breakingits contact with the switchmember 15. i

It is evident that the means described are very simple indeed, involvingthe use of a single solenoid coil and avoiding springs such as areusually associated with apparatus of this character.

We claim 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of asolenoid C il, a core within said coil mounted in a substantiallyvertical position so as to be raised by said coil when energized by thecurrent, a movable contact member for closing a circuit, unattached tosaid core and lying above and in the path of movement of said core so asto be actuated to close the circuit by the upward movement of said core,and a second contact member cooperating with said movable contact memberand operating by engaging therewith to hold the same up and therebymaintain the circuit closed,

Carie a thi p int m be attains? e .fi e

2. "In'apparatu s'of the class described, the

combination of a solenoid coil, a core with-' in said coil 'mounted in asubstantially vertical position so as to be raised by said coil whenenergized by the current, a movable contact member for closing acircuit, unattac'hed to said core and lying above andin the path ofmovement of said core so as to be actuated to close the circuit by theupward movement of said core, and a second contact member of resilientmaterial to engage said movable contact member, and operating byfrictional contact with said movable contact member to hold the same upand thereby maintain the circuit closed.

In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a solenoidcoil,a core within said coil mounted in a substantially ver tical position soas to be raised by said coil when energized by the current, a movable. 7

contact member for closing a circuit, unattached to said core and lyingin the path of movement of said core so as to be actuated to close thecircuit by. the upward movement of said core, said core being freelymovable so as to be returned by gravity after being raised by said coil,and having a head at its upper end to engage said coil and support thecore in its depressed position.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a solenoidcoil, a core within said coil mounted in a substantially verticalposition so as to be raised by said coil when en rg zed by th en a nwvae contact member for closing a circuit, unat tached to said core andlying in the path of movement of said core so as to be'actuated to closethe circuit by the upward movement of said core, said core being freelymovable so as to be returned by grav ity after being raised by saidcoil, and having a head at its upper end to engage said coil and supportthe core in its depressed position, said core also having a lower headfor engaging the lower end of said coil to limit the upward'movement ofsaid core,

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents,

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